Running head: ONE PERCENT VS TWO PERCENT MILK

One Percent vs. Two Percent Milk

University of Maryland University College

Introduction There has always been an argument in my household regarding the varying degrees of milk and the differences in taste. According to John Bower (1995), “sensory evaluation is a basic tool in the practice of food science and is widely used in research and industry”. The data formulated from the sensory evaluation can come in many forms but the information is usually produced by verdicts of human subjects that form a taste panel. There is importance placed on the conclusions drawn from these sensory experiments (Bower, 1995).
Purpose of the Study An individual declares that she can discern the difference in one percent and two percent milk. We have designed an experiment by which this assertion can be evaluated. Two half gallon cartons of milk were purchased from the Giant Food store. According to the nutrition label of the Giant low fat brand or one percent the product has 110 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. The Giant two percent milk brand has a total of 122 calories and 4.8 grams of fat in each serving. Based on the nutritional information the milk selections are somewhat similar and therefore the null hypothesis of H0: u = the participant will be able to make a distinction between the two milk brands in 70% of the taste tests or u=.70. The alternative hypothesis, H1: u≠.70 in which the participant in the experiment is able to identify between the two milk samples.
Method
Participant The individual selected for this experiment was a 60-year old female who is a self-proclaimed expert in the different milk tastes. Over the past 60 years this individual’s breakfast routine has consisted of milk and cereal and has tried to make the switch from whole milk to two percent milk and then down to one percent milk due to the nutritional value but has been unsuccessful due to the claims regarding the distinction in tastes.
Design
The experiment was conducted over a holiday weekend with ten different trials. The cartons of milk were purchased the day before the experiment and placed in the refrigerator for the same amount of time.
Random Order Each trial was prepared in random order and in pairs. This allowed exclusive control over the distribution.
Temperature Control There was control over the temperature during this experiment. Both types of milk were purchased the same evening and also placed in the refrigerator the same evening. Even within the refrigerator the cartons of milk were placed side by side without anything immediately around to ensure that that milk was cooled evenly. Additionally, both cartons of milk were removed from the refrigerator at the same time to again control the temperature of the experiment.
Constants
In an effort to control this experiment both types of milk were purchased at the exact same store and they were from the exact same producer. It was also important to try to control the age of the product so both milk cartons had the exact same sell by date. All the Dixie cups also had the exact same quantity within each cup.
Data Collection
Materials
One half gallon of one percent Giant brand milk was purchased along with one half gallon of two percent Giant brand milk. The other materials included twenty one Dixie cups for the taste testing along with paper and pencil for recording the results.
Procedure
The day of the experiment was Saturday July 3, 2010 in the early morning prior to breakfast. The following are step by step instructions on how to conduct this experiment: 1. Start off by selecting a participant that claims to be a self-proclaimed expert in distinguishing between the different types of milk. 2. Purchase and/or gather all the following materials: one percent milk, 2 percent milk, Dixie cups, paper, pencil, and water. 3. Discuss the procedure with the